Across the Pond

Chapter 54

Nico and I are in his car, parked in my driveway. I have yet to look him in the eyes just because I'm embarrassed by everything that Danny said about me. It's not that I believe Danny's words, and I know that Nico doesn't, but I do feel bad that I led Danny on. And I do feel bad that I kissed Nico while I was still seeing Danny.

I feel Nico's eyes on me as I play with my nailbeds, and I know he's itching to say something along the lines of 'I told you that guy was a dick', but is refraining. He can sense that I'm upset, and he's not going to toy with that.

His hand brushes my arm, and the sensation alone makes me want to push him up against the window and make out with him. Instead, I just look at him.

"Everything that comes out of that asshole's mouth is bullshit," Nico says once we make eye contact.

"Yeah, especially the part where he said that everything that involves you turns to shit."

Nico chuckles. "If anything, he was right about that."

I remove my seatbelt and shift my body to face Nico fully. "You seriously don't believe that, do you?"

"I think I do."

I shut my eyelids and exhale heavily. "Nico."

"I destroy anything and everything that I touch."

"Nico, that's not true!"

"What if I destroy you?" his voice cracks when he asks.

It's in that second that I don't think about my next move. I get up from my seat and straddle Nico's lap, placing my hands behind his head as he takes me in with his hungry eyes. I plant my lips on his, and kiss him passionately so that he feels that and nothing but that.

"That'll never happen," I assure him after I pull away.

"I'm not good for you," he tells me. "You'll see."

My hands still remain pressed against the back of his head as I look him in the eyes. "I know your heart, Nico. It's more than good."

I know my words strike a chord with him when he leans in and initiates the next kiss this time.

"I think that's because you're the only good thing in my life, BC," he tells me once he pulls away.

***

I never ended up going home. Nico and I decided to head into town for an early dinner. You'd think that with all of the money that Nico has, he'd want to dine at some fancy-shmancy restaurant, but he's actually the opposite. He lives for fast food, so we picked up a pie of pizza instead and brought it to the boardwalk to watch the sunset.

Nico just downed his second slice and is reaching for his third when he asks, "So, what's this I hear about you going to the Summer Dance and not telling me?"

I immediately swallow down the mixture of sauce, cheese, and bread in my mouth to respond to him. "I'm not going. Who told you that I am?"

"I have my sources," Nico winks.

"Nico! Seriously, who said something to you?"

"Okay, fine. My mom said that your mom mentioned something about you going at the anniversary party."

I shake my head and roll my eyes. "Well, my mom doesn't know what she's talking about because I'm not going. I may have considered it in the beginning, but I changed my mind."

"Two questions," Nico holds up his fingers and says. "1. Why did you change your mind? And 2. Where was my invite?"

"1," I mimic his hand motion and say, "it's not my scene and 2. You were with Cara at the time, so I assumed that you were going with her."

"I would've told her no if you asked me."

"Nico, she was your girlfriend."

He tilts his chin down and looks at me with wide eyes like I need to stop coming up with excuses. And then he says something that takes my breath away.

"Girlfriends don't compete with soulmates, BC."

My face lights up and I can't help but smile hard. "You calling me your soulmate?"

He looks at me intently and whispers, "Yeah." We don't take our eyes off each other. That is, until Nico gets up from the bench that we're sitting on and walks over to an aisle of light pink flowers. He picks one from the bunch and reaches it out to me. "Isabella Cooper, will you be my date to the Summer Dance?"

I take the flower from his grip and bring it to my nose. I'm about to say yes until I remember that I don't have a dress.

"I can't," I say. "I want to, but I just...can't. You should go though."

"I'm not going if it's not with you. Plus, I don't even want to go."

"That's sweet, Nico, but we both know your parents, and they're going to make you go."

Nico knows that I'm right, but he still argues against it. "I'm not going if it's not with you," he says again.

***

Later that night, mom, Grandma Ruby, and I decide to sit in the backyard and catch each other up on our week. Grandma Ruby tells us about this new cooking class that she and her friends signed up for, mom dishes about her latest date with Adam, and when it's my turn, I tell them about Nico.

"Honey, I just want you to be careful," mom says. "I love Nico, but we're nothing like the Bradfords, and I can't help but fear that maybe he's going into this with certain expectations. Expectations that are out of your control to meet."

"Yeah, and opposites attract," I counter. "Plus, mom, I've known Nico my entire life. He's more like us than you think."

Mom releases a sigh and puts her arm over the other as it lays on the table. "Okay," she skeptically says.

"Bella, darling, I think what your mother is trying to say is that she doesn't want to see you get hurt," Grandma Ruby adds on. "And I'm not saying that Nico's going to intentionally hurt you, but I want you two to think carefully about where this is heading. I'd hate to see years and years of true friendship get knocked down over a lapse in hormones."

"A lapse in hormones? Grams, this isn't a lapse in hormones. You both know how I feel about Nico; how I've felt about him since the first day that I met him. And to your point, if my friendship with him is as true as you say it is, then it won't get knocked down - no matter what happens between us. Plus, weren't you the one who told me that love is a complicated thing? Well, that's what I'm doing here, I'm allowing it to be complicated."

Mom and Grandma Ruby turn to face each other and I glance between the both of them.

"You're right," Grandma Ruby looks at me and says. "My own granddaughter, wiser than I ever was!"